With the new league year and, therefore, free agency less than a week away, the Buccaneers have a lot of business to resolve before Wednesday. They got off to a solid start by re-signing veteran linebacker Lavonte David to a one-year, $9 million deal . Bringing back Tampa Bay's best linebacker for a 14th season was not the toughest choice the Bucs have to make this year, nor the most expensive. The Bucs have several decisions to make, ranging from the absolutely essential to the strongly advised down to possible choices to put off.

The main issue the Bucs face this offseason is their cap situation. They have just $5.2 million in cap space per Over The Cap, not enough to re-sign David, their incoming draft class, or any other free agent move they need to make before the start of the 2025 season.

The Bucs also will want to sign any free agents they want to keep now before the league year begins. Even if negotiations stretch to the legal tampering period beginning Monday, Tampa Bay's front office needs the leverage that their exclusive access to their impending free agents offers to secure their top players. Once the free agents hit the open market, there are many more teams with much more cap space to tempt the Bucs to leave Tampa Bay.

The Bucs also have trades to consider. This year's free agent market is weak, and Tampa Bay might not be able to address their main roster holes without pilfering another team's roster.

MUST DO: Restructure Tristan Wirfs' and Antoine Winfield Jr.'s contracts

Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. are two of the most talented and best-compensated players at their positions. While their salaries weigh on Tampa Bay's cap, they also provide the Bucs with significant flexibility. Restructuring their contracts, which converts their base salaries into bonuses spread over the life of their deals, would give the Bucs all the room they need to operate this offseason.

The Bucs could clear $34.7 million in cap space by restructuring Wirfs and Winfield Jr., per Over The Cap. While this is not enough to pursue any big ticket free agents, it is more than enough to bring back their own free agents and fill out the roster. The move also minimizes long-term risk given Wirfs and Winfield Jr. are arguably the Bucs' best two players and far more likely to play to another contract extension than be cut.

SHOULD DO: Re-sign Chris Godwin

Tampa Bay's biggest free agent hitting the market is wide receiver Chris Godwin, who was one of the NFL's best receivers last year through the first seven weeks before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury. This year's free agent class is not particularly strong and Godwin is one of a handful of players who could make big money on the open market.

That is one of the main reasons the Bucs need to re-sign Godwin now. He could field outrageous offers from teams like the New England Patriots or the Washington Commanders , who have triple the cap space the Bucs could reasonably clear this offseason. Godwin could be a WR1 on a few teams in the market this year and would be compensated accordingly.

The other reason the Bucs need to re-sign Godwin now is because of the void years on his contract. At the start of the league year, the $18.8 million spread across the three void years on Godwin's contract will count against Tampa Bay's cap. Re-signing him before Wednesday would allow the Bucs to spread that money across the of his extension, which could save the Bucs more cap space than just letting him walk.

Ultimately, the Bucs need to bring Godwin back because he is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and has the potential to raise the offense from being very good to elite. Making the deal before the start of the league year would just tie Godwin's return in a tidy bow.

COULD DO: Trade Jamel Dean

Last year, the Bucs traded cornerback Carlton Davis to clear some cap space and collect draft capital. This year, Jamel Dean appears to be in a similar position. While Dean was probably the Bucs' best cornerback last season, he was not particularly reliable, missing five games with knee injuries. His absence in the second half of the Wild Card game against the Commanders left the Bucs vulnerable to Washington's explosive passing attack.

Dean's long-term prospects are bleak. He is nearly 30 years old and has never played a full season in his NFL career. However, for a team eyeing a championship run, he could be very attractive, like Davis was for the Detroit Lions, who gave the Bucs a third-round pick for him. The Bucs would also clear $8.3 million of Dean's salary by trading him before June 1.

The Bucs are not absolutely pressed to trade Dean. He covers better than anyone else on the team. Before seeking a trade, the Bucs should have some idea of his immediate and long-term replacement plan. An extra $8 million and a third-round pick would certainly make this a feasible plan.

WAIT AND SEE: Trade for Trey Hendrickson

The Bucs' biggest need this offseason is a true leading edge rusher who can impact the quarterback and reduce the defense's reliance on the blitz. The free agent class simply does not have that player available, but the trade market does. Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been permitted to seek a trade, making the 2024 NFL sack leader available to Tampa Bay.

The Bucs' problem is why Hendrickson is available. Being a true sack artist, Hendrickson believes he is due a big-money extension from his 2025 salary of $15.8 million. Not only would the Bucs have to trade draft capital for Hendrickson, but they would also need to open their wallets to satisfy his main reason for leaving Cincinnati.

The Bucs have long relied on the draft to acquire their core talent. They have largely been successful, but eventually, this strategy requires them to spend money to extend their drafted players. This makes adding top players in free agency and via trade that much more costly in both actual money and opportunity cost.

Making a move for Hendrickson before the league year would likely ensure that he would be a Buccaneer in 2025, but it would likely require a premium of draft cost in addition to his contract extension. This draft premium might drop or even disappear the longer Hendrickson remains available to trade. The Bucs would be better off waiting until after the start of free agency to approach Cincinnati about their premiere edge rusher.